A communiqué issued today by the Ministry of Environment and Energy states that the adjustment proposed by Portugal for Environment and Energy policies, and approved by the European Council, allows for the “strengthening of strategic instruments for the energy transition” and the extension of deadlines for hydrogen and battery projects until 2028/2029, ensuring “greater flexibility, security, and robustness” in execution.
The Government assures that the reprogramming maintains and strengthens the funding of approximately 415 million euros for these areas, deemed essential for the integration of renewable energies and the decarbonization of the Portuguese economy.
This week, the European Council approved a review of the PRR that introduces a profound reprogramming of the Portuguese plan, adjusting goals and investments to ensure execution by the European deadline of 2026 and incorporating the new REPowerEU chapter, aimed at accelerating the European Union’s energy autonomy.
The decision addresses the challenges identified in the realization of various projects, reinforcing strategic areas—such as the energy transition—and reorganizing instruments considered at risk, in an effort to ensure that Portugal maximizes the use of available funds in the post-pandemic framework.
As part of the review, a new call will be launched dedicated to the flexibility of the electricity grid, with an allocation of 60 million euros, aimed at increasing the resilience of the national system.
In the document released today, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, argues that the European approval demonstrates that Portugal “knew how to defend its strategic priorities,” emphasizing the strengthening of investments, the extension of deadlines, and the possibility of launching the new call for the electricity grid.
With this decision, the Government reaffirms its commitment to a “rigorous and effective” execution of the PRR, oriented towards “concrete results that strengthen the competitiveness of the Portuguese economy and accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more flexible, and resilient energy system.”
